Whether you work for a company, you own your own business or you’re in transition, it’s important to claim your digital space and stand out in the online world. To help you decide where and how to spend your energy, I’ve compiled a few tips that are the most essential for social media success.
Establish Yourself on LinkedIn
You are only as strong as your personal brand. That’s why LinkedIn is such as great opportunity. It’s essential for establishing professional credibility and reaching decision makers directly. Be sure to include a photo, a strong headline, and a personalized summary. It’s equally important to use LinkedIn to join professional development groups as well as groups that include your target audience.
Be Strategic in Your Social Media Efforts
Every minute of your time is precious, which is why you should not try to do it all on social media. Start with two or three channels that are most likely to include your target audience, and then build from there. This will make it more likely that you can consistently post and stay active on all channels without becoming overwhelmed.
Develop a Strong Content Strategy
The best way to level the playing field and stand out from everyone else is to develop a strong content plan. Your plan should include how frequently you’ll post as well as the type of content that will best serve the needs of your audience. And content does not necessarily have to be written words. Play to your strengths. If you’re a strong speaker, YouTube may be an outlet that you can embrace without having to do much more work. If you’re a strong writer, perhaps a blog would be well-suited for you.
Schedule Time for Social Media
A strong content strategy is a start, but it’s only effective if you take the time to execute it properly. Remember to consider when you’ll create and post content, as well! If you can commit to developing content for an hour a week, that’s a great start. From there, you can take advantage of dozens of free or low-cost tools, like Hootsuite that can help with posting. Also, be sure to set aside a few minutes each day to monitor and respond to social media comments.
Incorporate the Human Element
People relate more to other people than to a logo. Social media is about people, relationships, and common bonds. Show your personality, share some things about yourself and tell others what makes you and your business unique. You’ll connect with people and help to accelerate the know/like/trust factor that leads to sales.
I’ve seen so many folks spin their wheels with social media because they’re unsure of what where to spend their time or because they lack direction. Every minute is critical. Maximize your efforts by incorporating tactics that will give you the biggest return on your time investment.
